Energy efficient blinds and shades
April 21, 2023
Energy efficient blinds and shades
Energy efficiency is increasingly important in our homes. Have you had your home’s energy efficiency assessed? If you haven’t, you may be very surprised by how poorly insulated windows are leading to high energy use in your home. In cold weather, windows can leak heat into the environment. In hot weather, external heat can radiate into your home, and force you to run air conditioners and fans. We all know that proper insulation is vital for an energy efficient home, but new windows can be very expensive! However, you have alternatives.
Energy-efficient window treatments can solve most, if not all, of your insulation problems. You may be asking, how can my blinds, shades or curtains affect my home’s insulation? They can do this through two simple principles: creating an insulating layer of air between the window and the room; and blocking or admitting sunlight to the room. Empty air is bad at transmitting heat energy into our out of your house, so creating a “buffer” behind a blind or shade will increase you energy efficiency. And sunlight is energy, which can then turn into heat; by controlling how much sunlight enters your room, you can keep your space cooler or warmer as you need.
Best of all, you can combine window treatments to get the impact and style you want. Let’s look at a few of the most effective energy efficient blinds and shades available: cellular and solar shades.
Cellular or honeycomb shades
These shades are designed with honeycomb shaped pockets inside the shade. These pockets trap air and create a very effective barrier between a window and the interior of your house. Cellular shades are known for their incredible energy efficiency ratings, and as a bonus, they are modern and stylish as well. Cellular shades come in a wide range of colours, as well as light control levels ranging from “sheer” to “blackout”.
Solar Shades
Solar shades are another top-rated option for energy efficient window treatments. Solar shades are made of special material that ranges in how sheer it is. They are known for blocking out most or all of the UV light and solar energy that may enter your home, but can still allow some level of natural light into the space, depending on your preference.
Other options
One of the downsides of cellular and solar shades, is that they can be on the high end of the price range. However, you can still get excellent insulating properties from cheaper window treatments, especially if you are willing to combine a few styles. One of the most effective combinations is an inexpensive, opaque blind or shade with heavy draperies. Blinds are good at blocking solar energy, and are easy to adjust to let in more or less light as you prefer, while drapes, when closed, provide that layer of air to insulate your window.
Your window treatments can be an effective tool to reduce your energy costs in the future. Before you invest a big sum in replacing your windows or redoing your insulation, consider if upgrading your blinds and shades might solve your problems.